They say I'm somebody so I try to live up to the nameBut I'm just not that good at dealin' with fortune and fameI've made mistakes, more than I care to recallBut one way or another I always get over the fall.

I'm a survivor, I've paid my duesI wrote the book on hard knocks and I've bathed in the bluesI've been the feature on the six o'clock newsWell, I'm a survivor, dancin' the blues.

Sometimes I'd wonder how I've managed to live through it allYes, I've spent a lifetime of living with my back to the wallThe records will show that I've had my share of regretsBut as long as I'm breathing you ain't heard the last of me yet.

I'm a survivor, I've paid my duesDoing my best with the hand that I drewJust playing the part Lord, I couldn't refuseYeah, I'm a survivor win, draw or lose.